New gifting: less stuff, more meaning

The holiday season is upon us. And there’s a six-foot-high, plastic inflatable Santa standing outside the pet shop around my corner that I want to kill. He’s so cheesy, so filled with mechanical joy that his robotic “ho ho ho” makes me want to yank his polyester beard as I pass by on my way to yoga, knowing I can always calm down later, on the mat.

Finding calm and feeling real joy during the holidays is a personal goal you might choose for yourself this December. Setting the goal is easy. Planning for success is the challenge. What are you going to do this year that is specific, different and dramatic enough to shift your behavior and elevate your spirit?

Take gift-buying, for instance. It’s an aerobic sport this month, a virtual minefield of anxiety, stress and indecision. Will Samantha flip for the earphone-ready Ugg earmuffs? Does Sydney crave another pair of cashmere-lined gloves? Should I go into credit card debt to pay for more toys, more gadgets, more STUFF just because there are phony snowflakes in every store window?

The simple answer to that last loaded question is no. Simplicity is part of a growing trend in gift-giving that has nothing to do with more purses, more scarves, more useless stocking stuffers that add little more than clutter to our lives.

Instead, people on the path to a healthier, happier lifestyle are finding more satisfying ways to express their love and gratitude. Instead of buying into the crass commercialism of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Kiss-my-Mistletoe Tuesday, conscious spenders are rethinking old habits and replacing them with new ones that are greener, cleaner, more inspired and more charitable.

Interested? Wrap your mind around these:• Consumables are king.
Nothing is true for everyone. You may have friends and family who lost all their worldly goods in Hurricane Sandy and would like nothing more than a new Nespresso machine or a sled full of shirts and socks. But for many people on your holiday list, giving consumables is the way to go.

What’s a consumable? Simply put, it’s something you use up. Like a fine bottle of wine. (In my house, anything over $25 fits that bill). Or a box of fabulous chocolates. Or a fruitcake-free fruit basket filled with the yummiest organic produce you can find.

The one exception to the Give Consumables rule, in my book, is a great book. They’re a dwindling species, but readers still exist, and matching a great book with an eager mind remains a thrill. I remember one year giving everyone I know a copy of “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan. But most years, I find a fabulous food item or two online. Have you ever tasted a Greenberg Smoked Turkey? Or Heart of the Desert’s garlic & green chili-flavored pistachios?

• Experiences last forever.
I like giving consumables . . . but I love giving people on my list something experiential. Stuff is stuff, but an experience can have real impact that lasts way beyond the holidays. Here are my five favorite experiences to offer a loved one:A massage: Nothing beats a session with a blissful body-worker.

Manicure-pedicure: good for ladies and hilarious for guys.

Private coaching in his or her favorite sport: a total winner!

Cooking lessons: fun for one, but better done in pairs.

Tickets to theater, dance, music: Buy two, and share the good times.

• Donate to a nonprofit.
This is one of the highest forms of gift-giving, but it takes a little courage. Trust me; you will not disappoint. Find a charity you believe in, or one that’s in sync with your loved one’s interests, and donate in their name. One wonderful one to consider is Heifer International (heifer.org), where your gift of $20 dollars or more can buy a struggling family a flock of chicks or a share in a llama.

Another outstanding nonprofit I support and shamelessly promote whenever I can is Girls in the Game, where the mission is to teach young women to lead healthy, active lifestyles so they can grow up to be confident, strong leaders in their community.

So the choice is yours. If you decide to rethink your gift-giving, Santa and Rudolph will rejoice in their lighter load.

Marilynn Preston

Marilynn Preston is a fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues. She has a website, marilynnpreston.com, and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent by email.

Last modified: December 17, 2012
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published without permissions. Links are encouraged.